Promising
by Oh Mina Obscener
Summary: Sayid promises to look for Claire for Charlie. Kate insists he take her with him. please R
1. Promising

**Disclaimer:** Though I think we all know Lost isn't mine at all, I will clearly state it just for good measure... Lost isn't mine at all. There.

**A/N: **Implies Kate/Sayid. Just a little. But I don't know if I yet am a true supporter of that ship.

Charlie still wasn't opening up to anybody. Kate had tried. So had Jack even Sawyer had tried to make conversation. But he just lay there, hour after hour, waiting for something he knew wasn't going to come. Her return.

Jack was beating himself up for not believing Claire that someone was attacking her, which caused Kate even more distress.

Sayid knew that if anyone should go back out looking for Claire it should be him. Locke and Boone weren't back yet, but that didn't necessarily mean they were in trouble, as it hadn't yet been twenty-four hours. He noticed the stars had gone behind thick clouds. As he was thinking the clouds opened up and it poured. Everyone ran for the caves except he and Charlie, who was sitting by the water on a rock staring ahead blankly as was usual no, a blanket draped over his shoulders.. Sayid put his face up to the rain and let the thick, cool drops fall on his face, relishing the refreshing sensation. Finally he sighed and got up. He sat back down by Charlie, who looked his way. Sayid nodded .

"Hello Charlie."

No response.

"I think in the morning I will go look for her."

Charlie turned his head and looked at the man.

"And I wont come back until I find her." He promised.

Was that a flicker of hope in the young man's eyes? Sayid wondered. He would like to think it was, but it soon dulled back to the look of mourning and doubt.

"You'd do that?" Charlie said quietly.

The darker man nodded. "I think she's alive. And when I bring her back here to you, I don't want her to think you'd given up hope."

"I haven't. I wont. Not yet."

Sayid noticed to his left Jack almost came out of the cave to try and bring Charlie in with them but saw Sayid trying to make progress with Charlie and turned back.

"I wont go back on that promise. If there's a way to find her for you, I will." Sayid's open compassion and honesty was replied by a quick nod. Success, he thought.

"Come on. You should come in a cave where its dry." Sayid stood up and helped a reluctant Charlie to his feet. They walked in together and Jack raised his eyebrows at Sayid, who nodded and steered Charlie to the back of the cave where Kate was sitting with a dry blanket and water.

He turned to Jack.

"I'm leaving in the morning."

"What?"

"I'm going to go look for her. I'll follow your trail to where you found Charlie and continue. I have a feeling that Claire is alive."

"No, Sayid, we will go look for her soon, please don't-" Kate said as she joined the two men.

"No Kate, I'll be fine. Im faster at tracking. And Locke isn't back so... We have no idea about him, his progress or if he's even alright. I'm leaving at first light to look for her." Sayid saw the look on Kate's face and cupper her cheek in his hand.

" I promised him." He whispered, motioning to Charlie several yards away. Kate sighed and looked down at her feet, then back up at Sayid. Jack waited silently for her reply.

"Alright. Maybe your right. Maybe she's alive. And if anyone can find her it's you." Sayid smiled and took back his hand. Kate wished he hadn't, missing the gentle warmth it provided.

"You're not going anywhere without me." She announced.

"Kate, no I wont take you into danger." He answered. She wasn't about to give up.

"You don't have to. Your not taking me into it, I'm coming of my won free will."

"Your own free will is going to get you into trouble."

"I'm coming."

"Alright." Sayid agreed.

"Umm, Sayid. I think there's more than one guy your going to be rescuing Claire from here." Jack stated.

"I think I should come." He finished.

"No, I'm counting on secrecy and surprise to be on my side, not manpower and trying to overtake them. We're just trying to get the girl back. The less the better." He explained.

"Alright." Jack agreed. "You two better get some sleep if you're going to have energy tomorrow morning."

And with that they lie down in the cave their respectful distances apart.


	2. Unpleasant Memory

1 **Disclaimer:** Though I think we all know Lost isn't mine at all, I will clearly state it just for good measure... Lost isn't mine at all. There.

**A/N: **Implies Kate/Sayid. Just a little bit more. Ok maybe quite a bit more. I don't know if they really make a_ great _couple, but you know, Shannon and Sayid is just wrong, as is Sun, and Claire and Sayid... Well there's something slightly wrong about that too. Sorry if I've offended anyone that's just my opinion it means nothing.

**Chapter two:**

Sayid pushed a flashlight into his backpack and pulled the drawstring snug before shouldering it. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and noticed Sawyer climbing out of a cave. They shared a slight nod. Nothing extensive like a wave or a "where you headed." but a slight nod of tolerance.

Kate came behind him and Sayid noticed she had no sweatshirt over her usual attire of a green shirt and khaki pants. The morning was early, and the rain had made it slightly chilly for the island that was usually so beastly hot. She shivered slightly and folded her arms.

"Ready?" She asked.

He nodded and they departed the camp, heading into the woods where she and Locke and Boone and Jack had just the day before. The trees and vegetation were close, their water-filled leaves spilling onto their shoulders. The sky above them was black, dotted with familiar stars, and as the sky got closer to the horizon it was lighter blues, where it met the tree-line that they could see it was gray trimmed with gold and brilliant oranges.

Sayid saw Kate trying to brush the cold water from the leaves off her arms, and thought she must be chilled. He removed his light jacket and handed it to her. She looked surprised.

"Your shivering. I don't need it. Take it, it's ok." And she did, donning it appreciatively. They continued for hours, stopping once at noon for a brief lunch of bananas from a tree they found, and again at mid-afternoon.

"Are we close yet?" Sayid asked.

"Very." She said. She was having brief little flashbacks hat came before her mind like photographs, old prints that were frayed and slightly discolored at the edges_. It had just rained. She found Jack, and they proceeded to climb the steep incline to find the hanging form of Charlie. Jack had run to hold him up to save his neck from the pressure and she had climbed to free him. _

The memory brought a ball into her throat and a single tear escaped from the corner of her eye. She brushed it away quickly in shame and her cheeks heated at her inability to control her emotions in front of Sayid. Of course, nothing got past him. He looked her square in the eye and said,"Its alright. I'm not asking any details. It must have been very painful to see. Did you find him up this hill?" His words were so gently spoken that they were almost a whisper. She nodded and ducked her head down, sniffing and trying not to start to cry. This wasn't her. Why couldn't she seem to get a grip?

_She had instantly gone into action. Not even thinking, just leaping onto the tree, throwing caution to the wind and cutting him down. Jack removed the noose, and the blindfold. Around his closed eyes his face was purple with bruising. She had started crying, his lifeless form so real. Jack started giving him CPR, encouraging him to come back to life. When it was clear he wasn't going to, Kate had leaned against the tree, sobbing and shaking, while Jack pounded Charlie's chest in frustration and failure. Suddenly, with one hard blow, Charlie sputtered and coughed and rolled to the side. Her mid was spinning and she had run to him in joy._

Now she felt Sayid's hand lightly on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

"He was dead. He was so close to gone forever. But he was dead for a minute at the least. Probably more."

"He came back. That's what really matters."

"He was so still, cold. Dead." Her eyes filled with fresh, hot tears and she let them flow.

"Kate.. It will be alright." She heard him say. She wasn't accustomed to hearing him say her name so quietly, so thick with accent, but it was comforting. He pulled her into his chest and she cried onto his strong shoulder for minutes. His arms were warm and quieting, strong but gentle. She stopped crying and pulled away.

"I'm sorry." She repeated, embarrassed again, as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

Sayid just smiled kindly and started up the hill. She followed closely. Now the real tracking began.


	3. On the Trail

1 **Disclaimer:** Though I think we all know Lost isn't mine at all, I will clearly state it just for good measure... Lost isn't mine at all. There.

**A/N:** Sayid is definitely into Kate. And Kate is warming up to Sayid. (Maybe not in the show but it is all a part of my brilliant plan to take over the world make chapter three!) Trying to make longer chappy, As I was asked. I'll take that as a complement.

Special thanks to my reviewers! May it always rain chocolate and snow good fortune on you!(That is if you continue to review... nudge, nudge)

**Chapter** **three:**

The heat wouldn't let up. The cool day they had started out on was the last of a string of them, and now there seemed to be a heat wave passing over the island. The air was impossibly heavy and humid.

_'I just want to curl up in that little patch of ferns and sleep'_... thought Kate as they trudged on in single file. There was a trail Sayid was following, and they were definitely making progress, but the jungle was making the going slow and miserable. All she could think about was the next cold water they could refill at, and sleeping. The trouble was, Sayid was being a stubborn slave driver. Get up before dawn, stop twice a day and don't make camp until you cant see your hand two feet in front of your face.Of course she never complained because not only would that be irritating as hell, but it was her decision to follow him.

Sayid wished they could make a fire every night for camp. They had been on the trail for two and a half days now, and the genuine heat of a fire replacing the putrid humidity of the climate would be welcome. But they couldn't risk the attention, and he didn't want Ethan and whoever else there was out there to know they were following them. They might already, but if they did, they weren't telling. He looked back at her and saw that she was quietly struggling through a dense thicket-like area a few yards behind him. He wanted to help her, but didn't want to annoy her either. _'She can take care of herself, Sayid_.' He reminded himself often. He wondered how much longer it possibly could be before they came on the other side of the island, or the trail ended. He would follow it to the end no matter what. He told Charlie he would, and he intended to.

It was getting very dark. He looked along for broken twigs or footprints, but couldn't see well enough to look for small details.

"Poor Claire." Kate said from behind him.

"What?" Sayid asked, catching his breath.

Kate almost forgot what she had been abut to say when he turned around, she was suddenly too focused on the way his white muscle shirt clung to his chest with sweat and how his eyes focused in on her with dark intensity. At her delayed response, he raised his eyebrows.

"Another night with _them_....Whoever they are." She continued. " And considering what they did to Charlie, they don't seem very pleasant." She said. Sayid considered this for a moment.

"They want something. Something to do with her. The baby of her's perhaps? So hopefully, whatever their purpose is, it has to do with the child."

"And why would that make it any better?"

"Because then they wont hurt Claire, for fear of harming the baby."

Kate and Sayid stopped where they were and stayed for the night. They ate what they had left from lunch so they didn't have to find food for dinner, and Kate fell asleep within minutes leaning on a tree beside him. Inconveniently, the temperature decreased rapidly. Sayid was going to put on his coat, but thought better of it. He leaned over and draped it over her bare shoulders hoping that wherever Claire was she had something warm, too. Sayid remembered the last time he had left to venture out into the island. He had left in shame of what he had done. He still couldn't believe he had tortured Sawyer. He was surprised that Kate actually still respected him and liked him after something like that. Of course, even Sawyer was somewhat forgiving him. Everyone had who knew about the incident. Everyone except himself.

Kate stirred and scooted herself down to a more comfortable position. He followed suit, closing his eyes but listening intently for any sound out of place. He wondered what would happen if they were captured. He wrapped an arm around Kate's shoulders protectively, and instead of shying away from the touch she leaned into it, sighing contentedly in-between awareness and sleep.

It wasn't morning yet. Not by a long shot. When Sayid awoke to the sound of footfall, he guessed it was before three in the morning. They were to his left, then his right. He found shaking sleep off easy as he jumped to his feet, the world around him coming sharply into focus. Kate was jolted awake when her head-rest had jumped up so quickly, and she, too, scrambled to her feet, listening for the slightest noise. All they could hear was the rush of blood in their ears and their own heartbeats. The silence was heavy and eerie.

"Sayid." Kate breathed. "What is it?"

"I heard something. Footsteps." He replied in an equally hushed tone.

"Do you think its them?" Fear crept into her voice, making it waver. Sayid turned to look at her.

"I don't know. They're gone now though." Sayid hadn't finished the sentence when a flock of birds rose above the canopy and flew, screeching, over their heads and away in the direction Kate and Sayid had come. They were flying from something. A disturbance in the trees. Suddenly out of nowhere came a crashing figure. It was huge, whatever it was, though neither of them stood around to find out what exactly it looked like. Kate turned on her heel and Sayid pushed her in the opposite direction of the thing.

They ran and ran, blindly crashing through underbrush and leaping over fallen trees. Kate turned a corner and Sayid skidded after her. They could hear the crashing approach of the creature behind them, gaining every second. Sayid felt the topmost branches of a tree that was being knocked over hit him in the back of the leg and he stumbled before re-gaining his balance and sprinting on.

Kate couldn't remember being this scared. She remembered being scared of her closet at night when she was a little girl, and she remembered when she was twelve she was afraid to be alone in an unlocked car at night in the city. She remembered being scared when she and Jack and Charlie were running from the Thing after they retrieved the transceiver from the cockpit. But this had a different element of realness to it, a familiarity that flipped her stomach.

Just when she thought she was going to collapse, and that she couldn't run any longer, the noises of the creature stopped, and everything was deathly still. She was having trouble catching her breath, and her adrenaline was still coursing through her. She looked about for any signs of a great looming monster ready to pounce of something moving the trees, but was greeted by silence. Waves of dizziness passed through her head and she staggered. The visions of trees started to blend and dazzle her, a kaleidoscope effect. With the rush of blood getting louder and louder in her ears, she collapsed.

"Kate... Kate wake up." Someone was calling to her. She came to consciousness slowly, as if she was holding onto an imaginary rope and pulling herself heavily out of the black vastness of her mind, back through the tiny peephole of light, and into awareness.

"Unngh." She moaned and opened her eyes. She wasn't where she last remembered being, but in a clearing she hadn't seen before. It was small and there were small groups of little trees in the middle, but it was mostly a fern bed. She was welcomed by dark-blue night sky with blinking stars gleaming down at her. She looked to the side and saw the concerned face of Sayid. With some further exploration of her re-awakening senses, she discovered that she felt in good health except for a scratchy throat. Had she been screaming? She hadn't realized it when she was running. Sayid pressed his hand to her forehead gently.

"You seem in good shape. Can you sit up?" She tried soon found that apart from a slight light-headed daze, she was fine.

"Were you right behind me when I passed out?" She asked.

"No. You took a corner and I went the other direction. It stopped chasing me and I doubled back thinking it had followed you. I found you an hour or so back, you've been out for a while."

"Oh." She said stupidly. Her thoughts still were processing slowly, like a computer than needed to be cleaned out.

"It must be getting close to daylight now." Sayid informed her. She tried to get to her feet, but felt a firm hand on her shoulder.

"You may not want to get up for a few minutes."

"Sure. Not complaining about that." She was exhausted. She wanted to find Claire. She wanted to go back. She wanted to sleep. This last one was the most in her reach, and so she drifted off, slipping quickly into sweet rest.

Sayid watched her sleeping. Kind of a creepy thing to do, he knew, but he had nothing else to do and he liked the way her face was lit in the pale morning light. Her lashes made long sweeping shadows down her face and she looked so peaceful, and much less worried than she did upon waking. He would have to wake her soon, he knew, for they had a lot of ground to cover today. He had a feeling they would find something soon. More than just a trail. If he wasn't such a good tracker he would be worried that they were following the trail of some animal, but the signs read clear. He knew that their time was running out. He had to find her. He had to bring her back to Charlie, and watch him take her in his arms and ask her what had happened and fuss over her every bruise and scratch. Sayid prayed that would be all that was wrong, when he found her.

He roused her by shaking her shoulder slightly, and she awoke quickly, blinking sleep from her eyes.

"Come on, we have to find Claire. Soon."

She nodded her agreement and Sayid helped her to her feet, brushing dirt from her back as he did so. They were off again, shouldering their packs and walking as quickly as the terrain would allow.

There was a scream somewhere far ahead of them, but still in hearing range. A female cry, panicked and pleading. It rang out and fell upon their ears. They looked at each other. Another scream. Was that a 'help'? No time to ponder it.

_Claire._

Before another sound could be uttered, Claire was gagged roughly by an angry Ethan. He knew he shouldn't have removed her gag for even a second, not even to re-knot it. He could only hope that she went unheard. With a blow to her temple, he released some of his frustration. She fell on her side with a strangled cry and he knew they would have to get moving again.

"Get up." He muttered.

Sayid and Kate took of at sprints.

"It came from this direction." Kate said. They could waste no time.

TBC

A/N: You guys asked for longer chapters, and hopefully that was satisfying. Please review! I know it was a cliffy, but I just cant help myself sometimes.


	4. Don't Ever Give Up

1 **Disclaimer:** Though I think we all know Lost isn't mine at all, I will clearly state it just for good measure... Lost isn't mine at all. There.

**A/N:** wow. Thanks so much for the reviews, **you guys rule!**

**Chapter** **four:**

Kate was out of breath. They were running up a hill,steep and thick with trees. Her legs hurt, sharp pains all down them and then back up mercilessly, but she wouldn't stop for anything. Sayid was ahead of her, almost at the top of the hill. She was sure this is where they had heard the scream come from.

_Struggle, Claire. Get free so you can scream.. Let us know where you are..._ Sayid thought as he crashed through the remaining trees and came upon a grassy clearing. They were far above sea-level on the island by now, and the wind was whipping through the sharp-bladed grass, bending it to the north. He looked around. Which way should he go? He heard Kate come up from behind him, breathless. His own lungs hurt, and his sides were heaving with the effort to breathe. He wanted to call to Claire, but knew that she wouldn't be the only one who heard it. Was she gagged? Why had she chosen that moment to scream? He hoped it wasn't anything horrible, and that she was still alive.

"Sayid.. Where did they go?" Kate asked. He ignored her, intent on finding a trail. The grass was thin and brittle, easy to bend and be broken at the tips. He scanned the clearing with quick eyes and spotted an area of bent grass. Someone had been through this way, he knew. After approaching, he noticed that the grass was more bent in one are than the other, like someone had been laying down. A rushed inspection of the area confirmed this idea, and he saw where two people made off again, one set of tracks more lagging and torn than the other. Claire's? She had been hurt no doubt, if these signs were any indication. Why else would she have been dragging around like that? Unless it was to leave a trail. That might be it. _Good girl, Claire._

He motioned for Kate to follow him as he bolted off through the clearing and into the woods on the other side. Was that a flash of color ahead of him? A shirt? He leapt over a small stream, stumbled on the uneven rocks, regained his footing, and was running again. He could still hear Kate behind him, keeping up. She was fast.

Suddenly he was yanked backwards by something. A branch had caught his shirt, and it tore, but got snagged again on the same tree. He slipped quickly out of it and flew onward.

Now he was sure he was catching up to them. He could hear muffled cries and see a glimpse of Claire's hair through the thick foliage. Suddenly he was on Ethan, dragging the smaller man to the ground. Even though he was out of breath and tired, Ethan was no match for Sayid. Though he got one good blow to Sayid's face, he was soon knocked unconscious. He got off Ethan immediately, leaving him lying on the ground with blood spilling out of his mouth, contrasting sharply with his pale white skin.

He ran to Claire, who had sunk to her knees once Ethan had stopped trying to drag her with him, attempting to outrun Kate and Sayid. He took off her gag, and noticed that her mouth was split and bleeding at the corners. Her face was bruised and tears streamed down from blue eyes.

"Sayid!" She sobbed. He noticed she still hadn't had her baby.

"Its alright Claire, we'll take you back..It'll be ok." He whispered, unsure of how to console her. She smiled in relief of rescue through her tears. Kate came through the trees and took in the scene, Claire alive and still pregnant, Ethan unconscious several feet away. She came to kneel beside Sayid and Claire, who were on their knees also. Suddenly Claire's face darkened.

"Charlie... He... Ethan.. I saw the whole thing..." She choked. Kate and Sayid shared a smile.

"Claire.." Sayid said softly, a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him.

"Charlie is alive. He's waiting for you back at the caves." For a moment nothing registered on her face, and then her expression was of disbelief and joy. She cried and smiled and laughed through her tears.

"C'mon. Can you walk?" Kate asked, helping Claire to her feet.

"Yea." She answered, standing shakily and then steadying.

"Kate?"

She turned around.

"What are we going to do with him?" Sayid motioned to Ethan.

"We cant leave him here to wake up, get help and overtake us." She reasoned.

"I have some things in mind I would like to see done with him. Definitely some satisfying techniques that would make him suffer for all he has done" Sayid muttered. He looked from Ethan's face and then back to the two women, who were staring at him, a little shocked from that comment. They weren't concerned for Ethan's well-being, they were just shocked that Sayid would so openly consider torture..._ Again._

"Sayid I don't think we should..." Kate pleaded.

"I know, I know Kate, I didn't actually intend to do that. I wont ever again." He looked up, and Kate couldn't help but notice his chiseled muscles and perfectly dark skin... She blinked and shook the thoughts from her head. Sayid checked Ethan's pockets for knives or any kind of weapons.

Claire spoke. "I wish you would kill him." Sayid stared at her. It wasn't something he would have predicted she would say.

"It feels wrong, somehow." she continued. "But I don't care. After what he did to Charlie... And kidnaping me... I don't want to be scared that he'll do it again, looking over my shoulder.. Not being able to sleep. He _hung_ Charlie, Sayid." She stopped talking and stared at him.

He wanted the man dead too. But somehow he felt he would regret it. If he killed Ethan, they might never find out about him or any more about the island. But he didn't dare leave him in case what Kate had mentioned came true and he got more men to catch up with them. They had an idea of what he was capable of, and he didn't like it.

"He's coming with us."

"What?" Kate and Claire said in unison, Kate's passionately opinionated voice mixed with Claire's Australian one.

"Sayid I don't think it's a good idea." Kate came up and stood beside him.

"Well right now it's our only reasonable option."

"I don't want him traveling with us. Its almost a two day trip back. You cant carry him, and he sure as hell isn't gonna remain unconscious the whole time. We've underestimated him too much. I'm scared to bring him." Kate finished.

Sayid sighed.

"So am I. But I can handle him, Kate. Trust me."

And she did.

Charlie sat watching the daily activity at the caves. They were a little society now, with their roles and duties they had either been assigned or automatically taken to. He didn't have one. He sat, staring at the jungle, all day. They would come back. He had to believe that. If he didn't...He was sure he would just break into little fragments of himself like shattered glass of a mirror that lay on the floor, reflecting, in little pieces, what he once was.

His neck still hurt a little. The outer wounds had healed, but the soft tissue area under his cheekbone and the muscles in his neck were all still sensitive. Jack came to check on him twice a day. He didn't get up much. Sometimes, but not often. Now, this mid-morning, Jack came and sat beside him.

"Any day now Charlie." The doctor said. Charlie nodded slightly in acknowledgment. He hoped they would come back. With her. He had faith in Sayid's promise.

"Neck still hurting?" Jack asked casually. No response. It didn't really require one, thought Charlie. He was still going to poke and prob.

"Let me see..." He took two fingers and lightly touched Charlie's neck, feeling for the right muscles. Charlie closed his eyes and winced slightly at the pain.

"I'm sorry." He said, and he lightened his touch.

"Well, the torn muscle is healing very well. It will still be sore, and eventually, in a few days, maybe a week at the most, you'll only feel like you have a stiff neck. But there will be no lasting damage. Your very lucky, Charlie." Charlie managed a small smile and eye contact.

"Thank you." He mouthed at Jack, who clapped his shoulder and got up.

_Come back to me Claire... _He thought as he looked to the jungle.

Ethan's wrists were bound. He was gagged, and at night they tied his feet. He wasn't going anywhere. They were a day from camp. Claire couldn't wait. She wanted to get back... especially before she went into labor.. She had to see Charlie. Her eyes filled up every time she thought about it, knowing how close she had come to losing him.

Now as the second evening came and darkness fell swiftly, they made camp. It was eerie in the jungle at night. Every sound seemed to be magnified and warped. The trees all looked foreboding and even the wind seemed to be a warning. Claire curled up and used her arms as a pillow, and was asleep almost immediately. Sayid tied Ethan's ankles roughly. Ethan just stared ahead, never making eye contact. Creepy. He gave Kate the chills. She stared at him from where she sat, watching him sneer at nothing and stare into the darkness. It was as if he was willing something to come out of the dark patch of air he stared at. Something dark and wild. He was like a snake-charmer. She wished he would close his eyes. She wished he wasn't with them. But she guessed it was better than knowing he was loose on the island.

She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes. Before long she felt someone sit beside her.

"It's alright, you know."

She opened her eyes to find Sayid, still without his shirt, sitting beside her.

"What?"

"Ethan's hands and feet are bound. Quite well, I made sure of that. He's not going anywhere."

"I guess. He just always looks like.. He knows something we don't, you know?" She said. Sayid looked over at him, staring into the jungle.

"Your right. We'll do something. So none of us are worried about him ever again. Once we get back to camp. And we will. I was not gentle when I tied those ropes. They are tight." He took her cheek in his hand.

"Try not to worry. Try to sleep. We'll be back by this time tomorrow." He said, barely above a whisper.His voice was slowly soothing her into sleep. She closed her eyes and he smoothed her hair with his hand. She leaned her head against his bare chest, and his arms wrapped around her tenderly. This felt so natural, to be holding Kate in his arms, he thought. Her head rested on his shoulder and her breathing became even and deep. She was asleep. It wasn't long before he, too slipped into darkness.

The noise was faint at first, then became louder. It was Claire that heard it first. A crashing sound, and a great echoing growl. She sat up strait and listened. It was the ting they had heard on the first night on the island. Before she could call to Kate or Sayid, she heard Ethan speak, though not to her.

"That's right... come closer this way.. What nice timing !" He muttered to the thing as if he wanted it to come upon them.

"Sayid ! Kate ! Wake up !" She called loudly. They were up in an instant.

"No. Not again.." Kate whispered when she heard the noises. They were too close now.

It wasn't going to pass them. It was _after_ them. Sayid told Kate to run, and went to Claire's side. He took her arm and pulled her to the side, running to the left of the approaching monster. It was terrible not knowing what he was running from. Was it an animal? It sounded like one. But what was it? Was it even real? _Yes. _They weren't all imagining this giant creature. He ran, wishing he could go faster, but Claire was doing her best. She was struggling to go even at this rate, and he knew he would have to seek somewhere to hide. Running wasn't going to work. Claire couldn't outrun it if it chose to pursue them, and he wasn't about to leave her to fend for herself. They both stumbled over a sudden dip in the ground, as they couldn't see it ahead of time in the dark. Sayid was suddenly afraid that they might run strait off a cliff or run into a trap of some kind.

It didn't sound like it was right on their tails, so he stopped and listened. He realized he was gripping Claire's arm too tightly, and let go. She grabbed his hand again, afraid to be separated from him in the dark. He understood. She didn't want to be lost in the jungle alone. When he was sure there was nothing after them, he doubled back the best he could in the dark. There was a moon bright in the sky that sometimes shone through the canopy, so he could make out basic shapes and tree outlines, but not well.

He was back at where their camp was. No Kate. He called for her, not very loudly, and she stumbled out of the trees, out of breath.

"Thank god." She said, and she embraced Sayid in relief.

"It chased me... I just kept running. Then I tripped and fell. When I got up..." She took a breath. "It was gone."

"Where's Ethan?" Asked Claire, who had let go of Sayid.

They looked around, only to find he was nowhere to be seen.

By daylight, they were sure that he had vanished. Sayid found the ropes he had been tied with and found them frayed and cut.

"Cut. With a knife.." He muttered, turning them over in his hands.

"Doesn't surprise me." Kate said.

"It surprises me..I checked him for knives or anything he could use to cut with thoroughly."

"Now he's out there again. Probably getting the other men." Claire said through clenched teeth.

"Don't worry. He wont re-capture you. We're very close to the caves now. Maybe only a half day of walking. Lets go." He told the two women. So they set off. Sayid in the lead, Claire in the middle, and Kate brining up the rear. The day was bright and sunny, and the heat was bearing down on them as they trekked through the jungle. They came upon a small clear brook that ran down a hillside and out of sight. It was here they took a break and re-filled water bottles. Claire wasn't at ease, though, even by this peaceful place, and Sayid got them back on the trail within several minutes.

Charlie was too hot. He hadn't had a drink in ages, and he knew he was getting dehydrated. The sun was too much. As much as he didn't want to move, he leaned over and reached for a water bottle. It had been sitting in the sun for a few hours, so the water was warm, but it slid down his parched throat and he felt refreshed anyway. He let some of the water trickle onto his face, dumping half of the contents over his forehead. He blinked away the water that ran into his eyes and took a deep breath.

His neck felt better today. He could apply some pressure without feeling like his windpipe was closing in. Perhaps he could take a nap. Was Claire alright? She had to be.. He didn't want to think of some of the things that could happen to her out in the jungle, and with those men. Sayid and Kate should have been back by now. They should have brought her back to him. It had been to long. Maybe they too were captured, and dead now. All because of him. All because Sayid promised to bring her back to him. If this was true he couldn't stand it.

Charlie closed his eyes. He could feel the sun burning his skin. It was going to be real sore later. Probably going to get skin cancer from all the sunburn he was getting out here. He didn't care. Somehow that seemed of very little importance.

"Charlie!"

_Claire?_ He opened his eyes, ready for the disappointment that would come when he found out he was going insane, hearing her voice. But no. There she was. He was up and running, running toward her. She was alright. She was here, and she was in his arms. They were both crying without realizing it and holding each other tighter and tighter. Sayid and Kate were smiling at the two. People were coming out of the caves and from their chores to see the commotion. Jack was open-mouthed. Sayid smiled at him and nodded. Ethan was still out there, and they were no safer. They still hadn't found out the secret of the island... But in that moment, none of it mattered. Charlie and Claire were still oblivious to the crowd of onlookers that had gathered around them.

"I got you back!" Charlie cried, his face buried in her hair. "Oh, god_ I got you back_. Don't let go, Claire, and don't ever give up...Ever..."

"I never did Charlie! I never did!"

**The End**

A/N: hope I got some good Sayid/ Kate in that chapter... This was so fun to write and thanks again to my reviewers!


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